


The Mystery of Canterlot Castle

by EasilyDistractedJedi



Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, The Real Ghostbusters
Genre: Ghostbusters References, My Little Pony References, Portals
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:00:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29530224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EasilyDistractedJedi/pseuds/EasilyDistractedJedi
Summary: Rarity the Unicorn is in a tizzy preparing for Nightmare Night, sewing tons of costumes for herself and her friends, when Twilight Sparkle pulls her into an unexpected adventure into Canterlot with none other than the pony-fied versions of the Real Ghostbusters! Will they be able to save Nightmare Night and the entirety of Equestria?!
Relationships: Janine Melnitz/Egon Spengler, Rarity/Twilight Sparkle (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 3





	The Mystery of Canterlot Castle

Rarity sat at her sewing machine and sighed as the bobbin rattled and the foot punched through the fabric. The bell to the Carousel Boutique chimed but Rarity barely looked up from her work. 

A pony cleared their throat behind her. Opalescence, Rarity’s white Angora cat, opened one eye and yawned. 

“Rarity,” Twilight’s lavender hoof touched the white unicorn mare’s shoulder. 

Rarity jumped, and yelped in fright. Opal blinked sleepily, nonplussed.

“Oh! Oh, Twilight, thank Celestia, it’s just you!” Rarity turned around to face her friend. “You scared me, dear! I didn’t hear you come in!”

“You look…overwhelmed,” Twilight mumbled, staring at the heaps of dresses, costumes and fabric strewn about the shop. Rarity began to pace, tossing her wavy purple mane in anxious habit. 

“Nightmare Night is around the corner, and I’ve got so many orders this year!” Rarity explained, hunting for more thread. “Don’t tell me the Princesses all need new costumes…!”

“Oh, no, my Starswirl the Bearded cosplay will be just fine!” Twilight smiled, trying to put her friend at ease. “You adjusted it wonderfully for my wings!”

“Well, of course, darling!” Rarity mumbled, the spool in her teeth. She set it on the machine, threading the needle with her magic. “Only the best for the Princess of Friendship!”

Twilight could tell by her nervous laugh that Rarity was on the verge of a meltdown. 

“Rarity…you should take a break…”

“A break! Darling, oh no, no, no…I have so much to do! So little time!”

“Rarity…there is a new bookstore in Canterlot that just opened up, and the tea is nice. Why don’t we go there this afternoon? You look like you could use some time away from the Boutique, and it’s been a while since we hung out, just the two of us?”

“Twilight…I…” Rarity paused, looking at Twilight sadly. “Oh, Twilight, it’s true!” she confessed, tears in her big blue eyes. “I am overworked! My mane and tail are such a disaster, it’s been ages since I had a hooficure, and poor Opal has had to fend for herself whilst I binge on ice cream night after night!”

The cat shook herself and padded off to the kitchen, bored.

“You see! Oh, Twilight, I am a mess…! Can…can we do a raincheck, maybe? If that’s alright by you…!”

“What do you mean, Rarity?” Twilight tilted her head, confused. “You look fine to me, and taking some time to breathe with me would mean a lot! Besides, being a Princess is hard work, too!”

“Well…can you at least give me a minute? I must do something about my coiffure, I couldn’t possibly be seen in Canterlot with this dreadful mess of a mane!”

Rarity trotted off to her room, and Twilight waited for her at the front end of the shop. She turned the sign to the Boutique to closed just as Spike landed by the front door. 

“Spike! What are you doing here?” Twilight hissed at the young dragon. 

“I just wanted to see Rarity!” Spike smiled shyly. Twilight rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

“Spike…Rarity agreed to go out with me today,” she patiently explained. Spike’s eyes dilated in sadness. “Why don’t you come back another time?”

“But…but…!” Spike sighed deeply, his heart aching. “Twilight, Rarity had something ready for me…!”

“It’s Spikey Wikey!” Rarity rushed to the door, letting the dragon in. She kissed each of his scaly cheeks, making him blush a bright pink. “Oh, darling, I almost forgot! Here, your boutonniere for the prom! Don’t you look fetching in a suit and tie! Oh, Twilight, he is growing up so fast!”

“Rarity…!” Spike loved the attention from his longtime crush, and Twilight snorted, eager to get some time with Rarity rather than having him take it all away. 

“Yes, yes, you look great, Spike,” Twilight ushered the nosy dragon out the door, who cried, “Hey!” as it shut in his face. “Go back to the prom. Now!” Twilight mouthed to him. He sighed, dejected, and left.

“Now, Twilight!” Rarity placed a hoof delicately under Twilight’s chin. She gave the alicorn a demure smile. “Is somepony a little…jealous?”

“No!” Twilight denied nervously. “Jealous? Ha! I’m not jealous!”

“Mmmhmm,” Rarity gathered her saddlebag and cinched it tight around her curvy frame. Some of her mane and tail was beginning to gray, while Twilight’s height was beginning to increase, and the alicorn’s mane and tail were beginning to move of their own accord, an indicator of powerful magic. “I think you’re protesting a little too much, dear!”

Twilight blushed. “Rarity! I am not jealous of Spike! I mean…I…wanted to see you…and I am getting tired of him tagging along with me…!”

“Ahhh!” Rarity nodded, lowering her eyelids in agreement. “I see. Well! You don’t have to worry, I am sure he and Scorch will have a marvelous time! Dragon proms are rare events, you know!”

“Well, yeah, I guess…” Twilight tossed her mane and the two ponies trotted toward the center of Ponyville. 

“How is Canterlot these days? I barely see you anymore!”

“It’s…fine…” Twilight bit her tongue, not wanting to complain about the fifth parasprite infestation and the hundredth changeling wrangling she’d taken care of since occupying Celestia’s throne. 

“Sounds like me at the Boutique!” Rarity chuckled at that. She was surprised at how fast they had arrived at the train station. 

“I hear Manehattan and Fillydelphia are happy to have your boutiques open up!” Twilight tried to change the subject, ensuring Rarity didn’t sense her ability to make them arrive using a silent teleportation spell. 

“Oh, yes, I’ve been so busy lately, what with traveling constantly and now all these orders in for Nightmare Night, it’s a wonder I don’t just clone myself to get everything done!” Rarity sighed deeply. 

Twilight noticed the developing bags under the mare’s eyes. She started to worry more about one of her closest friends. 

“Rarity…when is the last time we hung out?”

“Oh goodness, Twilight, it has to have been…a…few…years now?” Rarity paused. She felt even more exhausted and sad. 

“I’m worried, Rarity…you haven’t been taking care of yourself…”

“Twilight, don’t you worry about me! I’ve got plenty of work, that’s enough!”

“Well…the train’s here…” Twilight sighed. They boarded, and sat down in a cozy train car near the caboose.

“Oh, Twilight, this feels like old times! Remember when Pinkie was a detective, solving the case about that cake!”

They fell to talking about past events, and Twilight’s eyes lit up each time Rarity’s smile appeared, reminiscing. 

“Oh, we’re here, already!” Rarity stepped onto the platform of the Canterlot station. “I’m so used to bringing all my things, I feel naked without them, haha!”

Twilight blushed furiously on hearing that, and cleared her throat. “Uh…haha, yeah! The bookstore’s…this way!”

“Lead the way!” Rarity fell in step with Twilight. Twilight felt herself staring longingly at the unicorn mare, watching her mane and tail bounce with each perfectly placed hoof. 

“Rarity…you…uh…look nice today!”

“Oh, pshaw, it took me less than thirty minutes to get groomed, no need to gussy up for tea with a friend!”

A friend…Twilight let the words sink into her mind, and felt sad. Then: “Well, I think…you look…lovely? Yes, that’s…what I meant to say. Nice!”

“Thank you, darling,” Rarity smiled gently at Twilight’s awkward form of flirting. She had learned to take the bookish pony’s attempts in stride. “This is such a charming little place!” Rarity complimented as the ponies walked through the bookstore and outside into an eating area. A small garden with a fountain was surrounded by a series of iron wrought benches and tables. Rarity and Twilight sat across from one another, studying their menus. “How in the world did you find out about it?!”

“I told her about it, actually,” cut in Luna. The once-princess of Equestria gave them menus. 

“Princess Luna!” Rarity cried, stunned. 

“After Celestia and I retired, I needed to do something to fill the time. What better than opening a bookstore with a cafe? Twilight suggested it.”

Twilight blushed, smiling at Luna. “I’m so glad you did this, Luna! Oh, can we have the hayburgers and fries?”

“Extra cheese for me, thank you! Oh, and do be a dear and get us some earl grey tea?” Rarity finished the order, handing over the menus. 

“Sure,” Luna trotted off toward the kitchen, and the mares could hear her giving orders in her royal voice.

“Twilight, darling, I do need a break from work…but I haven’t been on a date in ages, and I certainly wasn’t expecting you to even ask!” Rarity sighed. “I do appreciate all this attention, though, and I am enjoying myself a lot more than I thought!” Rarity reassured her softly. She drank some tea once Luna had poured her and Twilight a cup. 

“The truth is…I asked you here because Nightmare Night is coming…” Twilight sighed into her tea. “I’ve heard rumors about a wing of Canterlot Castle being…haunted!”

“Pshaw, haunted?!” Rarity dismissed the notion with a wave of her hoof as Luna wandered over with a tray full of their hayburgers and fries. “Thank you, Luna.”

Twilight ate quickly—she didn’t realize how ravenous she was, and Rarity smiled. 

“Twilight, you’re a learned pony, you know better than to take any ghost stories seriously!” Rarity teased. 

“I dunno…” Twilight munched, “I think there might be something to it!”

“Are you sure there aren’t…other reasons?” Rarity lowered her lashes at Twilight, who blushed again. “Oh dear, you’re turning as pink as the roses in the garden!”

“Rarity…” Twilight mumbled, blushing even more. “Anyway!” Twilight huffed, gasping for breath. She drank her tea nervously as Rarity poured herself another cup. 

“Well, let me guess, you want me to go and investigate with you?!” Rarity wondered. 

“No!” Twilight explained. “No…there’s some new ponies coming to Canterlot, they arrived the other day from Manehattan. They claim to be experts on this sort of thing, but they need their jumpsuits fixed. Celestia says one of them arrived covered in burnt marshmallows!”

“Burnt marshmallows? Sounds like one of Applejack’s date ideas, ugh!” Rarity shook herself of the memory. “I hope their outfits aren’t too much of a hassle…I do have a lot to catch up on!”

“They shouldn’t be…” 

Luna arrived again, this time with a dessert menu. “I heard mention of marshmallows. We have s’mores as an option, if you’re interested!” 

Rarity and Twilight laughed loudly, and now everypony paused to look at them. 

“No, Luna…we are fine!” Twilight squeaked, blushing furiously as everypony returned their attention back to themselves again. “We’ll stop by the Castle now. How’s that?” she looked at Rarity nervously.

“Sounds good to me,” Rarity nodded matter-of-factly. Then, she drew up the check. “Lunch is on me, doll!”

“Thank you…!” Twilight was taken aback. She usually paid for her friends, not the other way around!

“Come, come!” Rarity waved a hoof, trotting toward the front door to the shop. “Let’s figure out this…ghost business!”

The two ponies wandered out into the main boulevard and trotted toward Canterlot Castle. 

“Twilight, Rarity!” called Princess Celestia. The two galloped over to her before she could teleport near them. “It is good to see you both, and it has been a while since I saw you, Rarity!”

The three ponies embraced in the Canterlot Castle courtyard, and wandered slowly toward the gates. 

“Have they all arrived yet?!” Twilight blurted, excited. Rarity thought her excitement odd—wasn’t she afraid of ghosts?—but kept the thought to herself. 

“One has arrived before the rest, a tall pony with a yellow coat, and white and green mane and tail. He prefers to go by a strange name…Spengler, I believe it was?” Celestia informed Twilight. “He was waving this device everywhere, and I think it can detect more than magic? He did manage to allow the guards to catch another parasprite before it could manifest down the hall. I’ve never met a pony like that!”

“But you’re a Princess…! Well, a former one…I thought you knew about all of Equestria!” Rarity exclaimed. 

“Princess’ magic can’t detect every form of energy,” Twilight rambled happily, glad to settle into the teaching mode she was apt to do so often. “And our magic has limits…if this new group of ponies can harness different kinds of energy, who knows what kind of magic or power we will discover?!”

“This pony is no Unicorn, nor is he an Alicorn…I don’t know how he was able to detect any magic at all!” Celestia opened the door to the castle. The pony in question turned to face the group, raising an eyebrow and adjusting his round red spectacles. 

“Magic is a type of energy field that we can detect through science, ma’am,” Spengler grinned, putting away his PKE meter. His tan jumpsuit was covered in burnt patches and marshmallow goo oozed onto the red carpet below. 

“What in Equestria are you covered in?!” Rarity gaped at the stallion. 

“Class 8 ectoplasm, made to resemble marshmallows,” Spengler grunted, studying them cautiously. “And who might you all be?”

“I am so pleased to meet you, sir!” Twilight rushed over and shook his hoof excitedly. “As a fellow scientist, and might I add, nerd!—I am ecstatic that you made it to Canterlot! *ahem* My name is Twilight Sparkle, and this is my friend, Rarity. Oh, and this is Celestia!”

“A pleasure to make your acquaintances,” Spengler nodded, and Rarity began to blush as she noticed his stare. “Forgive me, but…you remind me of somepony else…is all.”

“Oh! Oh, that is quite alright!” Rarity smiled, gently touching hooves with him in hello. “So ah…Twilight says you study…ghosts?!”

“Anything to do with the paranormal usually piques our interest,” Spengler turned away from them. He studied the marble hallways, the stained glass windows, the pristine red carpet below their hooves. “From a historical perspective, the Castle of the Two Sisters has intrigued me more than Canterlot, but this will have to do. I’ve noticed you’re dealing with a lot of parasprite infestations, and also changelings are coming and going more often than usual. This is to be expected with heightened energy fields…definitely a sign of paranormal activity. We’ll have to stay here a while, scope this place out.”

“Stay…?” Twilight wondered, nervous now. She had the School of Friendship to manage—she had been appointed as the Dean since Celestia had left—on top of other duties in Ponyville, and worried about how she would have to monitor Canterlot, too. 

“We won’t be long, maybe a week or so?” Spengler trotted down the hall, leaving burnt marshmallow ground into the carpet. The motion made Rarity’s teeth clench on instinct. 

Another pony tumbled into the room, arriving through a portal by the entryway to the castle. 

“The readings of this place are off the chart, Spengs!” he cried, shaking his lime green coat and blonde mane rapidly. Marshmallow goo went flying and Rarity yelped, ducking behind Celestia’s wings. 

“Whoops! Got a little carried away, sorry about that! The name’s Stantz!” 

“Yes, I’ve noticed that, Ray,” Spengler huffed, not facing the pony. 

“Ray Stantz, Ghostbuster!” the newcomer introduced himself to Celestia, Rarity and Twilight enthusiastically. “Oh gosh, are you the Princess Twilight Sparkle?!” he gushed happily. Twilight blushed and smiled. “Egon, she runs the School of Friendship! Maybe we can have your paranormal activity course taught here!”

“We shall see,” Egon grunted, smirking at Ray. 

“Pete’s gonna flip his lid at these readings!” Ray galloped over to Egon, waving his glowing PKE meter everywhere. 

“There’s more of you?!” Rarity sighed, realizing just how much of a disaster she agreed to clean up. 

“Oh yes, just two more of us! Well…three…actually!”

“Five of you??” Twilight wondered, and the Ghostbusters turned around. “I thought there were only four!”

“Well…you see…there’s somepony new…well…not new to us…you’ll see!” Egon stammered, blushing. 

“Spengs, Stantz! Help a ‘buster out, would ya?” huffed the next Ghostbuster, a bright orange and white maned stallion who had stumbled out of the portal and fallen flat on his face. 

“Venkman, you’re alright?!” Egon and Ray rushed to help him up.

“Gee, do I look alright?!” Venkman snapped at them sarcastically. “Might need to get those glasses checked, Spengs!”

Once the orange stallion had righted himself, he tossed his mane and lifted Celestia’s hoof to his lips. “Madame, pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Peter Venkman, and I have a PhD. Me and the fellas are gonna investigate this place, make sure it’s ghost free by the end of the week!” 

Egon rolled his eyes, and Ray shook his head, grinning. 

“I think you’re forgetting somepony, huh!” came in a sassy mare’s voice, and the last two Ghostbusters arrived through the portal at the same time and much calmer—first came a blue pony with a black and white mane and tail, and then a white unicorn with a bright red mane and tail with streaks of white and purple in it. 

“Ah, yes, Winston and Janine are here!” Peter bowed to them dramatically. Rarity suppressed a giggle at that. 

“Thanks for the fanfare, Venkman,” Winston gruffed, and then he smiled at Celestia, Twilight and Rarity. “Name’s Winston Zeddemore!”

“And I’m Janine,” the unicorn mare grinned at them. “Janine Melnitz. A pleasure to meet you, ladies!”

“Yours as well,” Rarity returned the greeting. “At least one of them has class!” she teased quietly to Twilight. 

“I didn’t realize we’d need a whole crew to round up some ghosts!” Twilight mumbled, concerned. 

“Well, this is a big place, and we need to figure out what’s been messing with your energy field!” Ray explained gently as the other Ghostbusters wandered around the castle. “Given that we have been transported here, it might be something that affects all of Equestria!”


End file.
